diff --git a/ground/openpilotgcs/copydata.pro b/ground/openpilotgcs/copydata.pro
index d31730d80..23a3d5ba6 100644
--- a/ground/openpilotgcs/copydata.pro
+++ b/ground/openpilotgcs/copydata.pro
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ TEMPLATE = subdirs
 equals(copydata, 1) {
 
     # Windows release only, no debug target DLLs ending with 'd'
+    # It is assumed that SDL.dll can be found in the same directory as mingw32-make.exe
     win32:CONFIG(release, debug|release) {
 
         # copy Qt DLLs and phonon4
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ equals(copydata, 1) {
         MINGW_DLLS = libgcc_s_dw2-1.dll \
                      mingwm10.dll
         for(dll, MINGW_DLLS) {
-            data_copy.commands += $(COPY_FILE) $$targetPath(\"$$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/../../../../../mingw/bin/$$dll\") $$targetPath(\"$$GCS_APP_PATH/$$dll\") $$addNewline()
+            data_copy.commands += $(COPY_FILE) $$targetPath(\"$$(QTMINGW)/$$dll\") $$targetPath(\"$$GCS_APP_PATH/$$dll\") $$addNewline()
         }
 
         # copy iconengines
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ equals(copydata, 1) {
         #   xcopy /s /e <SDL>\include\SDL\* C:\QtSDK\Desktop\Qt\4.7.3\mingw\include\SDL
         #   xcopy /s /e <SDL>\lib\*         C:\QtSDK\Desktop\Qt\4.7.3\mingw\lib
         SDL_DLL = SDL.dll
-        data_copy.commands += $(COPY_FILE) $$targetPath(\"$$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/../../mingw/bin/$$SDL_DLL\") $$targetPath(\"$$GCS_APP_PATH/$$SDL_DLL\") $$addNewline()
+        data_copy.commands += $(COPY_FILE) $$targetPath(\"$$(QTMINGW)/$$SDL_DLL\") $$targetPath(\"$$GCS_APP_PATH/$$SDL_DLL\") $$addNewline()
 
         data_copy.target = FORCE
         QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += data_copy
diff --git a/ground/openpilotgcs/src/plugins/hitl/aerosimrc/src/plugin.pro b/ground/openpilotgcs/src/plugins/hitl/aerosimrc/src/plugin.pro
index 51bb42abd..2037bf0d5 100644
--- a/ground/openpilotgcs/src/plugins/hitl/aerosimrc/src/plugin.pro
+++ b/ground/openpilotgcs/src/plugins/hitl/aerosimrc/src/plugin.pro
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ equals(copydata, 1) {
                      libgcc_s_dw2-1.dll \
                      mingwm10.dll
         for(dll, MINGW_DLLS) {
-            data_copy.commands += $(COPY_FILE) $$targetPath(\"$$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/../../../../../mingw/bin/$$dll\") $$targetPath(\"$$SIM_DIR/$$dll\") $$addNewline()
+            data_copy.commands += $(COPY_FILE) $$targetPath(\"$$(QTMINGW)/$$dll\") $$targetPath(\"$$SIM_DIR/$$dll\") $$addNewline()
         }
 
         data_copy.target = FORCE